Pickup tongs



Dec. 25, 1951 F. c. BARR PICKUP TONGS Filed June 29, 1950 1N VEN TOR. Frank C. 5am Y %85% Patented Dec. 25,1951

asvassc OFFICE PICKUP TONGS" Frank C. Barr, Morgantown, W. Va. Application June 29, 1950, Serial No. 171,210

3 Claims. (01. 294-106) movable jaw. A tong having a single actuating jaw provides difiiculty in picking up articles. The article is rolled or turned over by the movable jaw to bring it into engagement with the stationary j aw. This makes it difficult to handle the articles being picked up and results in a waste of time. Frequently after the articles are rolled out of position by the movable arm they are more difficult to retrieve. It is sometimes undesirable to disturb an article to be picked up, it should be carefully grasped and set in the place intended. This is difiicult to achieve with a stationary jaw cooperating with a movable jaw.

The tonge comprising the present invention have complementary jaw members, each of which are actuated to move in unison by reason of the fact that they are provided with intermeshing gear segments. An operating trigger is connected to actuate one jaw member and the other moves in unison to converge on an article and pick it up. Since both jaw members approach and grasp the article it remains undisturbed save for lifting it and depositing elsewhere.

Simultaneously converging jaws permit the tongs to pick up large, as well as small, articles which is difficult, if not impossible, with tongs having only one movable jaw.

These and other advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto a practical embodiment illustrating the principles of this invention wherem:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a pair tongs and the actuating member.

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of the trigger actuating mechanism as cut from a piece of sheet metal.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the trigger after being shaped by folding into assembled relation.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the pair of tongs is made of a tubular wand member I which may be flattened at its lower end, as indicated at 2, to provide a bearing section 3 for receiving the jaw members 4 and 5. The jaw members 4' and 5 are pivotally supported on the pins 6 and 1 that pass through the flattened bearing portion of the wand. Each jaw member is preferably made up of fingers such as illustrated at 8 in Fig. 2 extending from a body section. The body section of each jaw member has a gear segment as shown at l0 and ll in Fig. 1. A gear segment Iii of the jaw member 4 is in mesh with the gear segment I l of the jaw member 5.

The jaw member 5 has an upwardly extending arm 12, preferably integral therewith, having a hole in the top thereof to pivotally receive the end of the actuating rod member l3. The other or upper end of the rod member l3 passes through the slot i4 in the trigger I5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and extends slightly therebeyond. The rod l3 has areduced section i6 which may be slipped into the slot 14 of the trigger and allows very little play therebetween. The reduced section [6 merely functions to pivotally connect the rod relative to the trigger.

A spiral spring member I! has one end stepped into the cap l8 that closes the top of the wand I. The other end of the spring extends over the upper end of the actuating rod l3 and bears against the end or face 20 of the trigger IE to apply pressure and maintain the trigger in an extended position. The pressure of the spring 11 forces the rod l3 downwardly which rotates the lever 12 in a counterclockwise direction and thereby opens the fingers of the jaw members 4 and 5 as shown in Fig. 1.

The trigger I5 is made from a single sheet of material, as illustrated at 2i in Fig. 3, which is provided with the side members 22 and 23 and the end extensions 24 and 25. When folded along the dotted lines the trigger member 15 takes the shape of such as shown in Fig. 4 with the sides 22 and 23 being in spaced relation to each other in the form of the sides or" a box. The end 24 extending beyond the trigger is bent over to form the hook 26 which is inserted through the small opening 21 of the wand and hooked over the bar 30 formed by this opening. The trigger l5 extends through the large opening 28 and the lower end of the trigger has the stop member 25 extending beyond the end of the one may'press the trigger to its full extent. The outward extension of the trigger is limited by the stop 25. This very simple structure provides an economical mechanism for actuating the tongs and is in itself a very important object and feature of this invention. The hooked hinged member 26 maintains the upper end of the trigger in the opening28 at all times; Thus, the trigger l never becomesfouled and is not likely to; cause misoperation of the tongs.

By depressing the trigger I5 the end 20 carrying the opening H!- moves the actuating rodflli! upwardly to swing the jaw member 5 in a clockwise direction thereby forcing the fingers' stoward one another to grasp an article. At the same time the spring I1 is compressed to a greater degree, and when the trigger is released the spring I! returns the jaws to their open position.

"1. "A 'pair of 'tongscomprising' a tubular wand, "a fp'air 'of jaw members each having" complef'mentary gear segments and. 'aniarticle gripping ,p rtion, pin means mounted on "said wand a'djacentone end thereof to-pivotallysupport the aw members 'withtheir gear'segrnents in mesh withfeach other and their grasping portionscooperatingwhen contractedfan arm on one jaw member "extending'beyondthe other side "of the pin means fromits grippingportio n, an operating trigger member pivotally mounted adj acentfthe otherend of the wand, a rod connecting "the operating 'trigger member and said am, and

spring means co-operating'with said operating triggr'rhember' to maintain said jawmembers 'in"their open position.

' ,2; Apair oftongs comprising'a tubular-wand, a pair of jaw members each having complementary gear segments and-an article gripping portion, pin means mounted on said wand adjacent one end thereof to pivotally support the jaw members with their gear segments in mesh with each other and their grasping portions cooperating when contracted, an arm on one jaw member extending beyond the other side of the pin means from its gripping portion, a trigger member mounted for movement in a slot in the wand, a hook on the .upper end of the trigger extending over albar carried by the'wand to provide a hinge therefor, a stop extending from the lower end of the trigger to engage in the wand and limit its extension therefrom, a rod connected cent its other end pivotally connected to said trigger, and a spring seated at the upper end of'the wand and engaging against said trigger to extend it outwardly forcing the rod to open the jaw members.

3. A trigger comprising a sheet of material, "folded to provide a" box-shaped member having anarrow side *connected with wide fiat sides along their adjacent marginal edges, the fourth side opposite the narrowside being open a hook extending from said narrow side to form-a hinge, a stop"projection' extendingfrom one cornerof each wide side diametrically opposite from said Thomas Nov. 6,1894 

